Movie’s Knockout Punch a Low Blow Among Certain Neigh-Saying Critics

The other day, I told of a motorist leaving a drive-in theater with the speaker still attached to her car window. Patty Pierce writes that it’s just as hazardous to attend a drive-in movie atop a horse.

She and several other invitees did that during a screwball premiere of “Blazing Saddles� (1974), the Mel Brooks comedy western, at the old Pickwick Drive-in (an event mentioned in the book “Publicity Stunt!� by Candice Fuhrman).

The movie was a hit with the humans that night, but some of the 250 or so beasts seemed to take umbrage (perhaps over that scene in which Alex Karras’ character, Mongo, KOs a horse with one punch). About 20 of the horses left with the speakers still hooked to their saddles.

“Nothing like imbibing to keep the cold at bay while atop a 1,200-pound horse who decides he’s a movie critic and decides he’s leaving with or without the rider,� Pierce said. “You know drinking does affect your balance. A few of us had to rodeo up loose horses that night.�

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Don’t expect him to fetch or roll over ... : Elsewhere in the animal world, Lewis Grauss of Diamond Bar saw a meowing hound in a display of animals up for adoption (see accompanying).

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Unclear on the concept: P. Martins of Upland spotted a swing set ad that raised quality concerns (see accompanying).

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Unreal estate: On the other hand, John Wade of Newbury Park found a property where there’d be no fire hazard in the barbecue pit (see accompanying).

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Eye-catching signs: And I’m sure this Only-in-La. (Louisiana) name, spotted by V. Floyd, referred to the customers’ pipes, not the company’s (see photo).

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Does not pass “Go�: Continuing our series on drive-away “oops!� adventures, Mark Willis wrote: “Shortly after moving to L.A. in 1992, I was driving through El Segundo on Grand Avenue. The driver of a car in front of me had left a Monopoly game on the roof of his car. He was trailing a swirl of yellow, green, pink, blue, yellow and orange play money.�

Added Willis: “I am quite sure when he arrived at his destination all that was left on his car was that ‘boot’ play token that nobody chooses at the beginning of the game.�

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Just wish I could have been there to enjoy it: The police log of the Seal Beach Sun said that “subjects in a late-model SUV stuck behind a guard gate were reportedly honking their horn for 30 minutes straight.� I’m surprised the SUV didn’t try to plow through the gate.

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miscelLAny: Around the Harvey household, my attempt to fix our toilet is still known as “The Great Flood of ’97.� I thought of that sorry day when Shirley Serna of Covina sent me a list of business slogans, including this from a plumber: “We repair what your husband fixed.� Really hit home.

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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LA-TIMES, Ext. 77083; by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A. 90012; and by e-mail at [email protected].